- Report year:2021
- Report author: Kentse Seselea, Lochner Maraisab, Deidre van Rooyena
- Organisation: Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
The social aspects of mine closure remain a challenge to the mining industry. Its tendency to deal with problems towards the end of a mine's life cycle, rather than planning for them from the start, is partly responsible for the gendered impact of mine closure. Using documentary evidence, the literature on how mining affects women, and the history of discrimination against black women in South Africa, we examine South African policy on women in mining and how mine closure affects them. The paper contributes towards a more nuanced understanding of the social aspects of mine closure. We recommend a more comprehensive policy focus on the local and regional social consequences of mine closure for women.